Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1887-04-01

coroner, have you any doubts Of the
prisoners guit?"
"None, sir"
"And YOU, Mr.. -P'
II have serious doubts" | replied.
what! Haven't you been listening
TO the examinations
but he has admitted nothing"
Ellis actions bespeak his guilt as
plain as day, and we shall now take
him before the jury and press him until
he admits the murder.
Before Fritz was taken into the room
where the jury was sitting and many
spectators were assembled. Grafton was
permitted to interview him in private
for half an hour. When questioned be-
fore the jury he said:
II may be the one. / had great
trouble come upon me, and l don't
know what | did or where | went. If
it was me am sorry"
On the strength of this the coroner's
jury rendered verdict that the girl
Jennie came to her death at the hands
of Fritz. and he was taken off to jail
and warrant sworn out. felt certain
that VIII Grafton had killed the girl,
and | expected to exhibit my proofs
before the jury, but when | saw Graf
ton take the matter into his hands |
realized that he suspected and was
prepared to defeat me. The son VIII
was present during all the proceedings,
and wore the identical coat from which
the button had been torn. Two of the
servants informed me that he had
worn the garment right along every
day for six months. When | saw that
the verdict of the coroner's jury was n
foregone conclusion, and that Fritz
would be held. determined to hold my
hand until proper time. In my re
port of the case 10 my superior | simp-
ly mentioned that Fritz had confessed
and been placed under arrest.
On the second day after Fritz had
been sent to Jail Grafton secured an
interview with him on the excuse of
providing him with a lawyer. In that
interview he secured the following
written confession:
am now quite sure that | killed the
girl. l got news in Il letter which
made me lose my head. and | remember
| meeting Jennie in the woods and
thinking she was to blame for all my
| troubles. / don't want to live, and
shall plead guilty and ask them to
| hang me.
Three days later. when guessed that
the prisoners dependency had vanish
ed, and that the thought of the gallows
would nerve him up to begin struggle
for life. paid him visit. | had been
| doing some good work in his favor.
Fritz" said. ''you read your letter
in the barn, didn't you?"
Yes
you tore it up after reading"
Yes; | remember
You were about to 90 for one OF
the horses down in the pasture When
you left the barn YOU took halter with
YOU"
II remember.
You reached the lot. thew the halter
into a fence-corner. and then started off
by the old path leading to the cider
mill. When you passed the school
house you were bare headed. and you
had not been from home twenty min
utes. "
II remember children shouting at
me- "
Il have followed you down that high
way for twelve miles. Then you turned
east by red school-house. and l have
traced you six miles further. can
show by the servants at the house that
you were under their eyes when the
girl left and for an hour after. Then
your letter came and you ran to the
barn and read it, Now, then. how
could you have killed the girl?'
II don't know; but if l didn't, who
dido"
Whose knife is ths?'
That's Williams"
ana lnlS DutIOHF
"Is off his coat. D."
had all the proofs any lawyer would
want to clear Fritz. could prove that
when he left the house he went TO the
barn. and from the barn he went in an
opposite direction from the route the
girl took. had twenty witnesses who
met him here or there on the highway
for distance of eighteen miles. Be
fore leaving the Jail convinced him of
his innocence. and in moment life
seemed precious to him, and he was
ready to fight for his liberty. left
him to return to police headquarters.
but had not traversed "A square when a
runaway horse struck me down. break
ing an arm. three ribs, and fracturng
my skull For the next four weeks !
was delirous off and on, and my head
was just coming back to me when
heard that Fritz had been tried for the